Topline
Anime movies have found success at the box office over the past month, with “Chainsaw Man” looking likely to win this weekend after the new “Demon Slayer” film led two weekends in September, as distributors increasingly bet on anime fans to show up to the theaters.
“Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” could top the box office this weekend. (Photo by Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
Getty Images for Sony Pictures
Key Facts
“Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc,” a Japanese-produced anime movie that serves as a sequel to the popular anime series, opens in theaters this weekend and already made $3.4 million from Thursday previews, beating contenders like the Bruce Springsteen biopic “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” and horror film “Black Phone 2.”
“Chainsaw Man” now looks in position to top the box office this weekend with $11 million to $15 million, Variety reported, a flip from earlier this week when both Variety and Deadline expected “Black Phone 2” to win a second straight weekend.
The movie was distributed in U.S. theaters by Sony, which also distributed “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie – Infinity Castle,” another anime smash hit that has made $131 million in the United States and more than $588 million worldwide since its release in September.
“Demon Slayer” is the ninth highest-grossing movie of the year so far worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, ahead of movies like Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” and it is still playing in theaters.
Both “Chainsaw Man” and “Demon Slayer” also benefit from glowing reviews: “Chainsaw Man” has a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 19 reviews and a 99% audience score, while “Demon Slayer” has both a 98% critic and audience rating.
Why Are Studios Releasing Anime Films In U.s. Theaters?
Sony Pictures has found success in recent years by investing in anime as the genre has become increasingly popular in the United States, especially among young people. In 2020, Sony purchased Crunchyroll, a streaming service that distributes anime in the United States, from AT&T for $1.18 billion. At a presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini said Sony is “very bullish about the overall growth of anime” and that fans are “not only a young audience but a highly engaged one.” Sony executives also said the decision to release the “Demon Slayer” film in theaters last month was because “the global fan base for the ‘Demon Slayer’ IP has grown significantly since 2021, the last time Sony released a “Demon Slayer” film in theaters. Purini told The Hollywood Reporter last month, following the release of the new “Demon Slayer” movie, the “anime fandom is no longer niche — it’s mainstream and gigantic,” adding the studio knew it was “something fans loved and would turn out for in large numbers with their friends.” Purini said the movie is the first of a trilogy, though no dates have been confirmed for the sequels, but he acknowledged he feels “urgency for all of us to bring more Demon Slayer to fans as soon as we can.”
Tangent
Both “Chainsaw Man” and “Demon Slayer” have found success in months that are typically quiet for the box office. October appears on track to be one of this year’s lowest-grossing months, according to Box Office Mojo, and is the worst-performing month since March. September and October have also both seen several high-profile flops, like “Tron: Ares,” which won the second weekend of October but is on track to lose more than $130 million for Disney, Deadline reported. “Tron” has grossed just over $100 million worldwide, but was produced on a reported budget of $220 million. “One Battle After Another,” which opened in September, is set to lose more than $100 million for Warner Bros., Variety reported, and other movies considered Oscar contenders like “The Smashing Machine” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman” bombed at the box office in recent weeks.
Further Reading
Box Office: ‘Chainsaw Man’ Wins Thursday Previews With $3.4 Million, ‘Springsteen’ Makes $850,000 (Variety)
Crunchyroll Boss on the Blockbuster Implications of ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’: “It’s Now Undeniable How Big Anime Has Become” (The Hollywood Reporter)